Auto body repair tool



5, 1952 M. M. OSTRENGA 2,605,659

AUTO BODY REPAIR TOOL Filed Jan. 5, 1950 mugs-row. Mme rw/l03nes/ve-A ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 5, 1952 V I i v v2 A fii y I 1 euro pony REPAIR TOOL when, Q tre sheet has Wis.- ehh ieatiqs Jeeves 1950, -1 91 invention relates to improvements in auto :body "repair" tools and particularly to "anvils against which a deformed body surface is'h'amm'eredinthe re-shaping process.

The primaryobject of the invention is to pro? vide an anvil which "may be conveniently positioned'against the irregularly contoured surfaces of an automobile body undergoing straighten ing, and which is provided with a. handle and pivot means for universally rotating the anvil about the pivot, and means for yieldably biasing the anvil against the working surface with a pressure 'whichapproximates the yielding pressure available when an anvil is handheld.

A further object of the invention is to provide slicha device with means for pre-adjusting the anvil to selected angular positionswith relation to the handle in order to utilize the device at less accessible portions of a working surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an-anvil mounting whereby the desired features of a hand-held anvil are preserved even though the anvilis in extended posi'usn upon a handle, thereby peimittingthe anvil to be used at a spot le eto' ore considered inaccessible to the repair m V Qther objects will be apparent to those skilled inthe art upon examinationof the following disclosure: a

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective of my handled anvil.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the anvil and handle attachment portion of the invention.

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section, of the device shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Figure 2, but showing the anvil rotated to a position normal to that in Figure 2 and showing the spring biasing devicewithdrawn on the handle.

. Fig. 5 is a plan view of my tool with the anvil rotated on its ball mounting to a fixed angular position.

An anvil 6, which may be of forged steel or of like material, is provided with a handle 1, pivotally secured to the anvil through shaft 8 by means of a ball and socket arrangement. The anvil 6 is provided with a dished recess 9 into which the ball I!) is seated and maintained therein by means of a clamp plate H arcuately cut away at l2 to partially frame the ball. Desired frictional pressure on the ball I0 is maintained by the set screw 13.

It is thus seen that the anvil 6 is adjustable about the ball lill. whichtarrangementrin view of the contours of the anvil will permitiapllmximate conformationwith alm t y su fa e. fi a hility of the anvil in certain preselec ed posh ons may be insuredby m ans f a lock n :01" nd n e ceincludin outri serarms 4 W th depen in fingers It. The a ms 4 xtend latera y om the andl sha t 8- e de ending f n s t 5 ma a t nat el s i o thesha ow anv d p ions it wh ch re locat d o e eive fi e it. it e pe t o he ba o.

The anvil is yieldably biased against the work.- ihe u e by means o a abi i er sprin wh ch ea s a a n t. t head 5'- Thi provides a contin odk am ec red. as by we d: n t b a k t n a p a e n g eral'cehi hmin to the la e f h to he bo om f the nv T b d it sv ded ith sea ed hot hw v 22 n wh ch he pr ng 20 wil e ect ly eat. he h he anvi in he hsitiehs assumed byi h n at d a u he e Wand, when e p ti i fin e s t en a d t the an ep e ns '5- T the ri g :0 als set v a a nd x ng and -ins me ns Th stabilizer spring 20-is .adjustably slidable in chan nel 25 of slide 23 and may be fixed by meansof a set screw 24,. or the like. The slide 2; is-remet le on h ha t 8 an ma be fir P .7 he he-s s b m a i 43. 1. .1 sew 2.5-. The ta i is n sh e. ma hus e re: meted hen hi desired t r ta e was the position shown in Figure 4.

In operation, the repair man reaches in beneath the fender (for example) of an automobile, and by exerting a slight pressure on the handle, will automatically rotate the anvil into general conformity with the working surface. The resilience of the stabilizing spring 20 and of the operators arm will provide properyielding resistance to the mallet blows delivered in the straightening process. The operator can progressively move the anvil along th work, and the anvil will automatically accommodate itself to the configuration thereof. Depending upon the shape of the work, the operator may preadjust the anvil to various selected angular positions with relation to the handle in order to utilize the device at remote portions of the working surface.

Iclaim:

1. In an auto body repair tool, an anvil, a handle universally pivotally connected to the anvil, an outrigger arm extending transversely of the handle and provided with a depending finger at the extremity of the arm, said anvil being pro- 3 vided with surface depressions disposed at the same distance from the handle pivot as the said finger whereby the finger may be selectively engaged in the depressions to stabilize the anvil in a certain position, and resilient means acting between the handle and the anvil to bias the finger into a. depression.

2. In an auto body repair tool, an anvil, a handle pivotally connected to the anvil, a slide adjustablyreciprocable upon the handle, and a springing stabilizing member detachably connected to the slide and a bearing bead mounted on the anvil and against which the stabilizing member is normally tensioned.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the bearing bead is provided with spaced notches into which the springing stabilizer will selectively seat as the anvil is rotated about the handle pivot.

4. In an auto body repair tool, an anvil, a handle pivotally connected to the anvil, positioning arms extending transversely of the handle, depending fingers at the extremities of said positioning arms, said anvil being provided with a plurality of depressions aligned to selectively receive said depending fingers in certain position of adjustment, a slide member reciprocably adjustable on the handle, a leaf spring stabilizer detachably connected to the slide and extended longitudinally with the handle to overlie the anvil, and a bearing'bead provided with spaced notches mounted on the anvil to receive pressure of the spring stabilizer.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the bearing bead notches and the depressions in the anvil are so spaced with respect to the spring stabilizer and positioning arms as to be respectively simultaneously engaged when the anvil is rotated about the handle pivot to a selected position.

6. In the device of claim 4, a pivoting arrangement comprising a ball integral with the handle, said anvil being provided with a socket-like recess, a clamp plate elevated above the anvil and apertured to receive the ball positioned between the anvil socket and the clamp plate, and screw means through the clamp plate for adjusting the frictional pressure on the ball.

7.-In an auto body repair tool, an anvil, a handle pivotally connected to the anvil, a bearing bead on the anvil and a spring mounted on the handle and tensioned against the bearing bead whereby to provide yielding support for the anvil.

8. The device of claim '7 wherein the anvil and handle are provided with co-acting indexing means disposed at the opposite side of the pivot from the bearing bead whereby said spring biases the indexing means to co-action when the anvil is in indexed position respecting the handle.

9. An auto body repair tool comprising members including an anvil and a handle, a universally pivotal connection between the anvil and the handle, means for adjustably. tightening said connection to restrict universal pivotal movement of said members, and independent detent means for locking the anvil against rotation in a given plane, said detent means including a resilient stabilizing element against which the anvil may be yieldably displaced.

10. The device-of claim 9 in which the said element comprises a strap springyieldable from the plane of its surface to permit anvil displacement toward the spring and inherently nonyielding in a transverse direction, the anvil having shoulders laterally engageable with the spring.

11. The device of claim 9 in which said pivotal connection comprises a ball and an adjustable clamp plate embracing the ball, one of said members having a plurality of detent seats disposed arcuately about said ball, said resilient stabilizing element comprising a spring mounted in the other of said members for selectiv engagement in said detent seats.

MARTIN M. OSTRENGA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,443,075 Guilford Jan. 23, 1923 1,540,139 Morrison June 2, 1925 1,727,915 Thomson Sept. 10, 1929 1,746,077 Ferguson Feb. 4, 1940 2,185,550 Gerdes Jan. 2, 1940 2,234,831 Porter Mar. 11, 1941 2,251,030 Blevins July 29, 1941 2,352,009 Robbins June 20, 1944 2,435,726 Rohde Feb. 10, 1948 

